A deserted mansion perches on a steep hillside, overlooking a rocky canyon. Tattered curtains hang behind broken windows, and a turret stretches toward the sky. Three years ago the wealthy owner disappeared suddenly, leaving behind a house full of secrets: A mysterious note, tantalizing clues, a hidden floor, one piece of a treasure map, and a missing fortune in diamonds.
Thirteen-year-old sleuth Skylar Robbins moves into the mansion with her parents and embarks on a new and dangerous mission. Armed with her detective kit, and with the support of her BFF Alexa and a team of secret agents, Skylar sets out to decipher the clues and find the diamonds. Can she outwit a gang of aggressive bikers and find the hidden jewels before they do? Or will the perils of middle school--like battling ruthless bully Emelyn Peters for the attention of class hottie Dustin Coles--get in her way?

Skylar Robbins is back with more sleuthing to do. Her and her family move into an old abandon mansion. There is a rumor that there are hidden jewels somewhere on the property. Skylar goes on the hunts for clues that are left around her house. With help from her online detectives and her best friend she works hard to crack the case. There are other people that are looking for the jewels who are making things dangerous for Skylar. Will she solve the mystery before her mom finds out how dangerous it is?

In ” an Oyster Shell – It was another cute mystery in the Skylar Robbins series.

The Pearls – The tenacity of Skylar Robbins is unprecedented. She’s determined to be a sleuth even when it gets dangerous. This character is quite loveable and you find yourself cheering for her throughout the story.

The setting of the abandon mansion was spooky and delightful. There are lots of secrets that the house holds. Skylar is determined to figure them out. Its fun as the reader to follow along. It’s easy to imagine the mansion the way the author describes it throughout the book.

The mystery was well developed and well executed. There were a few layers added into the story that made it more interesting. The men that were also looking for the jewels added a spooky element.

The Sand- Skylar is painfully naive and stubborn to a fault. She puts herself in unnecessary danger and it makes her look incompetent. It’s not a favorable quality. There are more books in the series but I find the character off-putting and don’t know if I will continue or not.

3.5 Pearls

About Carrie Cross

Carrie Cross is an avid reader who fell in love with books as a little girl after reading Goodnight Moon. She wrote her first “book” at age four: Blackie the Little Black Dog and the Flying Washing Machine. Carrie discovered her love of mysteries reading Nancy Drew books and The Happy Hollisters series, and after writing THE MYSTERY OF SHADOW HILLS, she continues to look for clues in unexpected places to this day.

During a recent interview she was asked, “Where do you get your inspiration?”

“When I was six years old, my parents decided we needed to buy a bigger house. We looked at a creepy two-story in Santa Monica Canyon, and I played hide-and-seek with the little girl who lived there. There were closets and secret hiding places with doors that opened into other rooms. Later, I wondered, “What if there was a clue hidden in one of those closets?” And the idea for the Skylar Robbins mystery series was born.

Skylar’s adventures continue in THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN JEWELS. After she solves her second big case, the Skylar Robbins Detective Agency tackles the MYSTERY OF THE MISSING HEIRESS. Carrie Cross is currently at work on her fourth Skylar Robbins novel, THE CURSE OF KOMA ISLAND.